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Also known as: Laurence;
Laurent; Laurentius; Lawrence of Rome; Lorenzo
Profile
Third-century archdeacon of Rome and "keeper of the treasures of the
church" in a time when Christianity was outlawed. On 6 August 258, by
decree of Emperor Valerian, Pope Saint Sixtus II and six deacons were
beheaded, leaving Lawrence as the ranking Church official in Rome.
While in prison awaiting execution Sixtus has reassured Lawrence that he
was not being left behind; they would be reunited in four days. Lawrence
saw this time as an opportunity to disperse the material wealth of the
church before the Roman authorities could lay their hands on it. On 10
August Lawrence was commanded to appear for his execution, and to bring
along the treasure with which he had been entrusted by the pope. When he
arrived, the archdeacon was accompanied by a multitude of Rome's crippled,
blind, sick, and indigent. He announced that these were the true treasures
of the Church. Martyr.
Lawrence's care for the poor, the ill, the neglected have led to his
patronage of them. His work to save the material wealth of the Church,
including its documents, brought librarians and those in related fields to
see him as a patron, and to ask for his intercession. And his incredible
strength and courage when being grilled to death led to his patronage of
cooks and those who work in or supply things to the kitchen.
Born:at Huesca, Spain
Died: 10 August 258; cooked to death on a gridiron; his mummified
head may be in the Secret Archives of the Vatican
Patronage
archives, archivists, armories, armourers, brewers, butchers, Ceylon,
comedians, comediennes, comics, confectioners, cooks, cutlers, deacons,
fire, glaziers, laundry workers, librarians, libraries, lumbago, paupers,
poor people, restaurateurs, Rome, schoolchildren, seminarians, Sri Lanka,
stained glass workers, students, tanners, vine growers, vintners, wine
makers
Representation
book of Gospels; cross; gridiron; deacon holding a gridiron; deacon
holding a book; deacon holding a bag of money; purse of money
Readings
With the robe of joyfulness, alleluia,
Our Lord hath this day clothed His soldier, Laurence.
May Thy faithful joyous assemblage clap their hands
More cheerfully than they have heretofore.
Today the noble martyr offered pleasing sacrifice to God,
Today he, being grievously tested,
Endured unto the end the torment of his fire;
And shrank not from offering his limbs to punishments most grievous.
Before the ruler he is summoned,
And settlement is made upon the Church’s hidden holdings.
But he by words enticing is unmoved, and is unshaken
By the torments of the ruler’s avarice.
Valerian is laughed to scorn,
And the Levite’s liberal hand,
When he is asked for payments,
Giveth to the gathered poor.
For he was their minister of charity,
Giving them abundance from his means.
Therefore the prefect is enraged,
And a glowing bed made ready.
The torment-bearing instrument,
The gridiron of his suffering,
Roasteth his very viscera,
But he laugheth it to scorn.
The martyr sweateth in his agony,
In hopes of crown and recompense
Which is allotted those with faith,
Who struggle for the sake of Christ.
The court of heaven rejoiceth
For his warfare-waging,
For he hath prevailed this day
Against the lackeys of wickedness.
That we, then, may attain the gift of life,
By this our patron, be glad, O our choir,
Singing in the church upon his feast-day
A joyful alleluia.
from the Mass of Saint Laurence, Old Sarum Rite Missal, 1998, Saint
Hilarion Press
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O Laurence, thou David, thou great-martyr,
Thou mighty warrior and judgment-seat of the Emperor,
Thou didst set at naught the blood-stained hands
Of thy tormentors.
Thou wast a follower of Him Who is desirable and mighty,
Who with His hand alone can conquer the cruel despot’s strongholds,
And Whose love maketh His warriors holy,
And generous with their blood.
Insofar as thou sawest Him in the loss of this present life,
Thou didst scorn the emblems of the Cæsar, and laugh the judge’s threats
to scorn.
In vain it is the headsman rendeth thy fingernails,
It is in vain the pyre’s burning thy gridiron doth enfold.
The impious man, the City’s prefect grieveth,
Conquered by a broiled fish—the food of Christ.
This honeycomb of the Lord rejoiceth, living with Him,
Rising again with Him, filled to the full with Christ.
O Laurence, wreathed with laurel amongst warriors,
O unconquerable David of the everlasting King:
Ever entreat with Him to pardon His lowest servants,
O martyr and mighty foot-soldier!
from the Mass for the Octave (Apodosis) of Saint Laurence, 17 August, Old
Sarum Rite Missal, 1998, Saint Hilarion Press
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The Roman Church commends to us today the anniversary of the triumph of
Saint Lawrence. For on this day he trod the furious pagan world underfoot
and flung aside its allurements, and so gained victory over Satan's attack
on his faith.
As you have often heard, Lawrence was a deacon of the Church at Rome.
There he ministered the sacred blood of Christ; there for the sake of
Christ's name he poured out his own blood. Saint John the apostle was
evidently teaching us about the mystery of the Lord's supper when he
wrote: "Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren." My brethren, Lawrence understood this and,
understanding, he acted on it. In his life he loved Christ; in his death
he followed in his footsteps.
Brethren, we too must imitate Christ if we truly love him. We shall not be
able to render better return on that love than by modeling our lives on
his. "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow
in his steps." The holy martyrs followed Christ even to shedding their
life's blood, even to reproducing the very likeness of his passion. They
followed him, but not they alone. It is not true that the bridge was
broken after the martyrs crossed; nor is it true that after they had drunk
from it, the fountain of eternal life dried up.
On no account may any class of people despair, thinking that God has not
called them. Christ suffered for all. What the Scriptures say of him is
true: "He desires all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the
truth."
I tell you again and again, my brethren, that on no account may any class
of people despair, thinking that God has not called them. Christ suffered
for all. What the Scriptures say of him is true: "He desires all men to be
saved and to come to knowledge of the truth."
from a sermon by Saint Augustine
source:
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintl02.htm
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